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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30089592">Special Guest Star</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrastes_grace/pseuds/andrastes_grace'>andrastes_grace</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, WandaVision (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brother-Sister Relationships, Codependent Maximoffs, Everyone Is Alive, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everyone is Dead, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Happy Ending, Magic, Minor Wanda Maximoff/Vision, Multiverse, POV Pietro Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff Lives, Pietro Maximoff Needs a Hug, Suicidal Thoughts, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, What-If</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:22:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,153</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30089592</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrastes_grace/pseuds/andrastes_grace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Pietro Maximoff survives the battle of Sokovia. Wanda doesn't.</p><p>Things do not go well.</p><p>But then they get better.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Pietro Maximoff &amp; Wanda Maximoff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. You Didn't See That Coming?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There are an infinite number of possibilities. Each choice we make, or don't make, or didn't ever consider create new possible futures, and each one of these futures continues to ripple onwards, shifting the universe into new and unmapped territory. Every choice, from every entity that could ever possibly exist.</p><p>'Destiny' and 'fate' don't exist. They've never existed (or maybe they do, in some possible universe where everything happens to some grand plan. The alpha universe from which all others are offshoots, left to muddle through existence without a guiding hand but also without the wonderful chaos of unpredictability). Every possible outcome will happen.</p><p>Somewhere.</p><p>Somewhen.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It goes like this:</p><p>He feels his sister die. He feels her pain and her fear. Within all those sharp, painful edges there's relief that it's not in vain. Her sacrifice will mean others will live. He feels all this then -</p><p>- then silence.</p><p>Where there has always been Wanda-and-Pietro - <em>always</em>, other than those first twelve minutes of his life - there is now -</p><p> </p><p>nothing.</p><p> </p><p>And he drowns in it, fighting to regain senses that were never his and always a part of him.</p><p>His sister dies and he lives.</p><p> </p><p>He's never known how to be still. Even before HYDRA, before the experiments. He was always too loud, too fast, too much. He can't settle in the compound and talk about his feelings, as though any of them could ever understand what it feels like to lose a piece of himself, to feel a silence where there should be a twin - the part of himself that is not just Pietro but Wanda-and-Pietro. The only thing that willl help is seeing his sister again and none of them can give him that.</p><p>He runs. Away? Towards? What does it matter? It doesn't matter how much space there is around him on this Stark owned land, he feels just as trapped as he did in his cell.</p><p>When he finally, <em>finally,</em> tires he sits in the room they've given him (so many empty rooms there's space for both of us) and he watches episode after episode of old sitcoms. All her favourites - the Dick van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeanie, The Brady Bunch. All the DVDs he can get his hands on, he moves onto the ones they never watched with their parents because Wanda never stopped. He hits fast foward and lets the world slow down around him, watching without seeing.</p><p>They were her comfort, not his (too much sitting) but he hears her voice as he watches, explaining the jokes he doesn't get (there's laughter from the audience so he knows there's a joke, and it frustrates him. Learning English is an area where she's finally faster than him, and that frustrates him too but he wants to know the jokes so he can share them with her later). He hears her laugh when he imitates the accents, and then they take turns doing their best impressions of an All American Family while outside their safe bubble of black and white domesticity the bombs fall.</p><p>It's not an environment welcome to visitors - a dark room, with the shows running too fast for anyone else to follow. But the robot, Vision, whatever he is, tries. There had been a connection there, and Pietro had been planning on teasing her later, when they were all safe, about building herself a boyfriend. He tells him about Wanda's dream of an America that never was. Vision cannot understand why Pietro would watch so much of something that only brings him pain.</p><p> </p><p>Lagos is where it begins and ends for the rest of the world. (For Pietro it ended a year earlier when he died and lived at the same time). The final body count from the explosion in the market place is unknown but three of that (too large) number are Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff.</p><p>The only survivor from the mission is the (former) terrorist (formally) affiliated with HYDRA and he's not stupid, he knows how it looks. He knows there's just his word that <strike>(another)</strike> HYDRA agent was present. He knows what Stark thinks about him.</p><p>The Sokovian Accords sail through, unopposed.</p><p>But it's all for nothing. The Avengers are finished. Perhaps they died with Steve Rogers, that day in Lagos, or perhaps they died a few weeks later when Tony Stark murdered the man who killed his parents.</p><p> </p><p>Since he never actually <em>signed</em> the Accords he travels, figuring if they want to arrest him, well, they'll have to <em>catch</em> him first.</p><p>And he's faster now. A year since Sokovia and his powers have improved. He wonders if they'll keep developing to the extent that finally, maybe, he'll slow down.</p><p>He wonders if his sister's powers would've developed too. He knows he would've liked to have seen what she could've become.</p><p>(He thinks, deep deep deep inside of his head, that she should've lived instead of him.)</p><p>He always used to joke - and Wanda never liked this joke because it wasn't actually funny - that she was good luck. Because, he'd say, look at all the shit that happens to us. Our parents, the orphanages, HYDRA, the experiments... and yet we've always come out on top.</p><p>And she'd ask him, well why are you sure I'm the one that's good luck?</p><p>And he'd reply (and this is the punchline, it's not that funny), well it's obvious it's not me!</p><p>And Wanda would say, this is the part where the studio audience should laugh, so the people at home know it's a joke. Even when it's not funny.</p><p>And he'd always say, I like the ones without the laughter. I don't like being told when to laugh</p><p>And she'd say, you never like being told what to do.</p><p>And then their conversation would descend into good natured bickering because whenever they went through bad times they did so together.</p><p> </p><p>(And he never said, because you stopped that bomb from exploding.</p><p>And he never said, because whenever the orphanages or foster homes tried to split us up something always happened to keep us together.</p><p>And he never said, all the other volunteers died.)</p><p> </p><p>And he never said any of those things because that would mean admitting that Wanda's good luck wasn't just a joke <strike>(the bomb was a dud. it was a dud. it wasn't magic)</strike></p><p> </p><p>(An arms dealer in New York supplies alien technology to criminals. A group of school children are killed on a visit to Washington DC. Hank Pym's technology falls into the hands of HYDRA. Wakanda goes through three kings in quick succession and then closes its boarders for good. Asgard falls, there are no survivors.)</p><p> </p><p>What's left of 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' can be counted on one hand, and Pietro does not count himself among that number. He sees a world fall to ruin around him and thinks maybe he was right about the good and bad luck.</p><p>In a way it's almost a relief when Thanos wins.</p><p>(don't get him wrong: he did try to fight. He remembered, finally, he was supposed to be an Avenger. But there was so few of them and one by one they fell)</p><p>Pietro sees half of what's left of earth (so few) turn to dust around him and thinks it's another case of his bad luck that he's not one of them.</p><p>And then he thinks: maybe I'll join them.</p><p>And then he thinks: Wanda would be disappointed in me.</p><p>(And then he thinks he hears her voice, screaming in grief)</p><p>(<em>"He was killed by Ultron, wasn't he?"</em> and there's a name he can put to that voice, but it's a false name and he knows this just like he knew when Jelena had been making fun of Wanda all day at school when he was off sick)</p><p>And he thinks: I can see the walls of the world moving</p><p>And he thinks: I think I've finally gone crazy</p><p>And he thinks: I can move through them, if I want.</p><p> </p><p>The walls shift, like someone has broken a mirror and hung all the pieces in the air on fine, red glowing strings. The sparks jump and dance into eternity in a way that is as familiar as his own face.</p><p> </p><p>He reaches out a hand, He should be expecting the glass that isn't glass to slice through his flesh, or disintegrate it on touch but he knows it won't hurt him.</p><p><em>Wanda</em> could never hurt him.</p><p> </p><p>And he thinks -</p><p>           he thinks -</p><p>              he thinks -</p><p> </p><p>He thinks he should hurry up and ring the doorbell already because it's October and it's freezing in New Jersey.</p><p>The door opens, and it's Wanda and he's not surprised because, hey, that's just the sort of thing that happens on TV, right? So he grins, shrugs and says, in that stupid American accent he used to have so much fun mocking,</p><p>"You didn't see that coming?"</p><p>In the distance (around him/part of him/outside of him) he hears the studio audience whoop and cheer. Which means everything is just fine.</p><p>(even when it's not)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Me, every single time I write about Pietro's powers: gotta go fast</p><p>Not seen in this fic: Agatha muttering 'shit shit shit' and reworking all her Bohner related plans.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. It Was _____ All Along</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Outside his sister's house Pietro gets into an argument with, well, Pietro.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>People seemed to like this story so I decided to continue it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the four years since his sister died, Pietro had developed a theory. It went like this:</p><p>On some level he and Wanda had always had their abilities. He didn't know if all humans had the potential to develop, for lack of a better word, superpowers if exposed to correct stimulus; or if exposure to the Mind Stone had simply unlocked or accelerated some quirk or mutation that had always been present within them.</p><p>All he knew was that for 22 years there had been a second presence inside his mind. It wasn't unwelcome or intrusive. It was just there and existed as a part of him that wasn't a part of him and felt, unquestionably, like Wanda. And sometimes he felt emotions that weren't his, or remembered things that never happened to him but he was a twin. That was just a twin thing. Everyone knew that.</p><p>And then Wanda died, and the presence died with her, and in its place was a horrifying, deafening silence.</p><p>And he never really had time to process it. He was still grieving during the catastrophic mission in Lagos, and after that he'd travelled aimlessly around the world, running through old conversations in his head and trying to pretend she was still there.</p><p>There's a point to all this, and Pietro is trying to remember what it is.</p><p>...</p><p>Telepathy. That's what the point is. His sister is telepathic. <em>Was</em> telepathic. (Is telepathic?) He can feel her in his mind again, the part of him that was not him. The part that is not Pietro but Wanda-and-Pietro, and he felt it the moment he left the walls that weren't walls and found himself staring at the town sign for Westview, New Jersey.</p><p>No, he felt it before then. When he felt her screaming in his head, in the ruins of New York.</p><p>And...</p><p>There was something very important, but it's gone.</p><p>Wait, what was he thinking about?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>His name is Pietro Maximoff and he is - </p><p>He is -</p><p>(not entirely sure what he is doing here, or how he got here)</p><p><em>Westview, New Jersey</em> the information is a whisper in his mind. <em>You're here to visit your sister, her husband and her children</em>.</p><p>Oh. That's right. His name is Pietro Maximoff and he is here in Westview, New Jersey to visit his sister, her husband and her children.</p><p>His dead sister, and her dead husband (and how could they even fall in love? She died the day he was born) and her very much nonexistent children.</p><p>Wait.</p><p>He needs to start again. There's something missing.</p><p>
  <em>Nothing is missing. You are where you're meant to be.</em>
</p><p>Where he is on his sister's doorstep, one hand hovering over the doorbell. From within he can hear Wanda and Vision arguing. There's something about control and memories and that's important, he's knows it's important and - </p><p>And he's not going to ring the doorbell. There's something important about that as well.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Your name is Pietro Maximoff, and you are 26 years old. You are here in Westview, New Jersey to visit your twin sister Wanda, her husband Vision and her twin children, Tommy and Billy.</em>
</p><p>His name is Pietro Maximoff and he is 26 years old. He is here in Westview, New Jersey to visit his twin sister Wanda, her husband Vision and her twin children, Tommy and Billy.</p><p>No. No no no no no. He needs to focus. There's so much he doesn't know - like where this place is (<em>Westview, New Jersey</em> the helpful voice prompts) or why it shows no signs of Thanos' recent attack on the entire planet (<em>that was five years ago</em> the helpful voice reminds him and he's starting to hate it) or what happened after he moved through the walls that weren't walls (<em>nothing important</em>)</p><p>He needs to remember.</p><p><em>You don't need to remember.</em> The prompt voice is female, and seriously annoying him.</p><p>Laugh tracks in America sitcoms. That's important. Why is it important?</p><p>Oh, yeah. They're annoying too.</p><p>(And he always say, I like the ones without the laughter. I don't like being told when to laugh<br/>
And she'd say, you never like being told what to do.)</p><p>Right, that's it. The laugh track is annoying because it's telling him when to laugh.</p><p>Because...</p><p>wait, what was he thinking about again?</p><p>Oh yeah. Why he always liked Malcolm in the Middle the best. They only had one series at home because that was the only one that was out when they were kids. It was fast, which was probably why he liked it so much, but it also made it harder to learn English. Although, he was 10 at the time and his English was already pretty good by then.</p><p>And then he thinks, I never needed to learn English.</p><p>And that's an odd thought to have because English is his second language, so of course he needed to learn it.</p><p> </p><p>Wanda and Vision are still arguing. Either they're arguing slowly or he's thinking super quickly and of course it's the latter. Why would he ever need to question that?</p><p>He catches something Wanda says. Something about, "do you really think I'm controlling everybody?"</p><p>And that's what's he was trying to remember. About what's so important about telepathy. About her powers, really.</p><p>He doesn't know if it's a result of his own abilities, or because of their shared connection to the Mind Stone or just because he was too used to Wanda's presence in his head. Whatever the reason, they don't affect him properly. Sure, she can (could? can?) sense his emotions and see his memories but that's because they're twins.</p><p>Probably.</p><p>And then he thinks, I don't have a sister. And he doesn't know why he thought that because he does have a sister. A twin. She's dead and on the other side of the door arguing with her husband, who is also dead. He was there for both their deaths.</p><p>Dead. Dead dead dead. And he thinks, I'm pretty sure I'm dead.</p><p>And then he thinks, I didn't think that.</p><p>(and then he thinks, <em>At first I was thinking 'necromancy'. Gross, I know, but doable. And, of course, Wanda's little 'bubble' keeps any unfortunate side affects from showing. But no, she just... ripped open the universe like it was</em> nothing.)</p><p>Wait, that's not a thought.</p><p>That's the prompt woman's voice but she's not prompting. It's... one of those things. The thing. The thing he doesn't seem to keep a hold of right this moment.</p><p>Memory. That's it. It's a memory.</p><p>And that's important too.</p><p>
  <em>It's not important.</em>
</p><p>Right, right. It's not important.</p><p><em>No, it is.</em><br/>
 <br/>
And that's the first thing he's thought clearly since...</p><p>Since...</p><p>
  <em>Since I got here.</em>
</p><p>That's a very clear thought and it's not one the prompt woman gave him so he holds onto it.</p><p> </p><p>("I had a really good plan worked out," Agatha isn't really talking to him. She's just venting her frustrations out loud and it's direct her words to him, or talk to herself. And given as she's the only person Westview in full control of themselves he gets the feeling she's been in the basement talking to herself a lot.</p><p>He doesn't know how much he believes her. Wanda doesn't have the kind of power she's been describing.</p><p>Also it's a creepy basement and also she kidnapped him so she's not high on his list of people he trusts.</p><p>Her back is to him while she works, casting spells over blood and bone and hair. Some of it is his.</p><p>"Ralph was finally going to make himself useful." She continues, turning to face him. She's holding something - a string of beads - in her hands. "But I guess in a way he still is."</p><p>Ralph is the third person in Agatha's basement. Unlike Pietro he's not floating a few feet off the ground and restrained by Agatha's magic.</p><p>That's because he's dead.</p><p>And Pietro is sure it's his fault.</p><p>"Long lost dead brother was going to make a grand, but recast, entry into Wanda's sitcom world, but then she goes and rips open an inter dimensional portal and I get the real thing to work with. It would be perfect if you weren't somehow resisting every single possession spell I have."</p><p>(<em>It's like herding cats in your head</em> had been her exact words)</p><p>"You realise I'm not exactly broken up over this," Pietro replies. It doesn't matter that this is a whole new universe where Wanda lived and he died, she's still his twin and he will not let this woman hurt her.</p><p>Agatha just laughs, "I love the accent, by the way. Wanda's just comes and goes depending on her mood. But, that's going to go. Sorry. From now on it's going to get a lot more 'Ralph' in your head. And if that doesn't work," she adds, as an afterthought, "I guess we can always try necromancy.")</p><p> </p><p>He's rung the doorbell. He didn't want to ring the doorbell. In fact, he wanted to lower his hand and leave (and he is good at leaving quickly) until he figured this whole thing out.</p><p>The door opens, and it's Wanda and he's not surprised because, hey, that's just the sort of thing that happens on TV, right? So he grins, shrugs and says, in that stupid American accent he used to have so much fun mocking,</p><p>"You didn't see that coming?"</p><p>And he hears and sees himself do this, and sees and hears Wanda react and that's when he remembers the important fact that he keeps forgetting: there's currently two people in this body and <em>he's not in control any more</em>.</p><p>(And that's the last clear thought he has until he finds himself pinned to the floor by a stunningly beautiful woman who seems to think his name is Ralph Bohner)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Actually seen in this chapter: Agatha reworking all her Bohner related plans.</p><p>RIP (probably) Ralph Bohner. I'd make a dick joke in your honour but, uh, it's hard to think one up.</p><p>So I dont know how Pietro'a powers work in the comics but there's nothing in the MCU to contradict what I'm saying and I do think that being super fast would make it incredibly difficult to get affected by mind control.</p><p>Sorry this chapter isn't as good as the first one, but I hope you enjoyed reading it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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